Life in the Desert
by absolong
Summary: When a certain King of Thieves gets captured by a Demon with an ego, life gets interesting, and the games they play get deadly. TKB x YB x RB
1. The Bandit King

The air was thick, and stifling. A lingering warmth travelled through his body, it felt like he was floating. Dreams, nightmares, it did not matter, nothing mattered right now but the desire to rest, and to sleep. Shadows covered his vision, there were no clear images. Blurred colours and shapes.

The King of Thieves opened his eyes carefully. A room, with walls...and a floor. Derelict and run down. Where...was...he?

He shot up with a start, inspecting his surroundings further. A beam of light shone through the entrance way, and he could hear voices in the distance, though he could not make out what they were saying.

He tried to stand up, but he was weak, and his legs were constantly shaking and about to give way. He needed water, or food. Something to give him enough energy to continue.

Suddenly, he looked up, and saw a boy standing in the doorway. A thin wisp of a boy, with beautiful white hair and pale features. Highly unusual in these lands. The white hair was similar to his own, though longer, and possibly whiter.

"Ah, you are awake" That voice was unexpected, heavily accented, one that he could not recognise. A smile was on the boys face as he stepped forward, offering him water.

Akefia eyed the cup warily, and the boy frowned.

"It is safe, do not worry. I wouldn't have brought you all this way...well Master wouldn't have had you brought all this way just for me to kill you. Come, drink up, it will make you feel better. You were passed out outside my Masters territory. He had you brought here."

The boy took a drink from the cup, before offering it to him once more. He was not going to give up, was he? Akefia took the cup, drinking from it carefully. So, he needed to find out who this boys _master_ was. Then he needed to get out of here. Shouldn't be too difficult. No one messed with the King of Thieves.

"What is your name, stranger?" The boy sat closer to him, and Akefia raised an eyebrow.

"Does not matter. I wish to leave, show me the way out" The boy frowned, and glanced at the door.

"My Master would not allow that. You are here until he wants you to leave."

"Listen here! I am the King of Thieves, I have the most dangerous reputation in all of Egypt. I will get out, with our without the permission of your _Master_ , now get me out, or get out of my way"

"Oh really? How do you plan on doing that?" A deep voice caused him to look up, a man, looking much older than the boy stepped into the room. Identical white hair, and similar features. His voice thick with the same heavy accent the boy had.

He spoke quickly to the boy in their mother tongue, a language he had never heard before, and the boy stood up, leaving the room without a moments hesitation.

"I am ruler of these lands, I own everything from the borders of Egypt to the river 70 miles away. My men roam the mountains, and patrol the lands, looking for trespassers and caravans. I hold all the power right now, and I am the key to your survival, understand?"

Akefia glared at the man, there was a...shadow looming over him. The boy had wonderful deep brown eyes, but this man, blood red contrasted with the pale skin, he would have suspected them of being related, brothers, if the boy had not deemed this man his Master.

"Why am I here?" The tanned man folded his arms, the glare never breaking from the other. This was a very real threat, he had heard of the Bandit King across the borders. Master of Spirits, and Shadows. If this was the man, that even the Pharaoh feared, then this escaping would be far more difficult.

"Well, you are Akefia, the King of Thieves are you not? I figure taking you back to the Pharaoh will see me a high reward. I have heard of your reputation, feared by man, woman and child all across Egypt. Such a reputation. The bounty on your head must be exceptional."

Akefia stood up again, pulling the knife from his pocket and pressing it against the man's throat. Instead of stuttering however, the man just gave a rough cackle.

"You can't kill a demon, Thief King. I dare you to try" As if to prove a point, the man pushed the knife into his own neck. Instead of blood, a blackish liquid spilled from the cut, deeper and deeper the knife was forced into the man's throat. Until he pulled it out again, and the cut disappeared, as if nothing had happened.

Akefia stepped back suddenly...what in the name of Ra? This was no man, this was a monster, and here he was trapped.

"Are you surprised? Did you really think I would talk to the King of Thieves unarmed? I have heard of your tricks, your lies. I have been around for far too long to be slow, and idiotic. Now do you realize the trouble you are in? You are in a world you do not understand, and could not comprehend with your small brain. Do not try to escape, it will only end badly for you, do you understand me?"

The thief glared at the creature warily, still holding the knife tightly in his hand.

"And that boy, is he...?" Akefia glanced at the door, making sure the boy wasn't standing there.

"Ryou? No, no. Everyone else here is as human as you are. Under my command of course. They are loyal to their Master, and willing to serve me, without hesitation."

Really? Akefia did not believe that. People were easy to bribe if given the right motivation. They served this Demon, trapped here just as he was. Did he threaten their lives? Force them to do unspeakable things. He had dealt with demons before, however only in his past, when he was a child. He could not forget, but he did not realize there would be more around, and some taking such a human form.

"And now you wish for me to serve you as a well? Well I refuse. I am not some pet, I do not do well being obedient." This caused the demon to smirk, moving over to him, grabbing him by the wrists, digging his nails in deeply.

"You will become obedient, and I will break you. A King of Thieves should be free to plunder and take all that he wishes, not be forced to wear chains. If you became a loyal servant, I could give you so much power, you would be unstoppable. You could take your revenge on the Pharaoh. For all of your village. Would you like that?"

"How do you know? No one witnessed that!" He snarled, turning away from him quickly. The demon smirked softly, before shrugging.

"That is for you to find out. Do not try to run, I will find you. It is easy in my territory, and not too difficult beyond my borders. I know these lands like the back of my hand" Akefia snarled as he watched the demon walk, running to the door.

"You will not keep me trapped here!" He snapped, before the demon turned, and pushed him back into the room.

"Oh, I can and I will. The great Thief King will be mine to control, you will break eventually, I have _years_ to wait." With that the demon turned once more, summoning chains from nothing at all, smirking as they wrapped around Akefia's wrists. The man struggled to no avail, as he was forced to the ground by the chains. When he was fully secure, the demon turned to walk away again.

"Just think, if you were willing to obey, I would give you anything you want. I know more about you than I care to admit. So be a good boy and sit quietly, wont you" He said, giving a soft wink, before he was gone.

Akefia did the opposite however, he yelled and thrashed. Trying to break free of the chains, before trying all sorts of attempts to escape. Nothing seemed to work however.

-x-

The day passed by slowly, achingly slow. After a couple of hours of trying to escape, he grew tired, collapsing to the ground. The heat of the air around him was stifling. The lack of wind made him feel even worse.

He must have fallen asleep, because he awoke to a pair of chocolate brown eyes staring at him. The boy tilted his head, giving a soft smile when he saw him awake.

"You have been asleep for hours, I brought you some food, and something to drink" The smile stayed on his features, as he offered the cup. Akefia was too thirsty to deny it, and let him hold the cup as he drank the cool liquid greedily.

When the boy offered him a piece of cook meat, he looked at it warily, before refusing. There was no way he was going to give in so easily. The water... was an exception. But he wouldn't put himself in the demons debt.

Ryou frowned when he rejected the meat, putting the plate down. Akefia took the chance to scan the boy. He was beautiful, remarkably so. He would sell for a high price in the slave markets.

"You look very similar to the demon" He muttered, and Ryou blinked slowly.

"Oh yes, Master took my form when he wanted to be human. He had a fondness for it...I think. That is what he said anyway." Ryou shrugged, taking a bite of some of the fruit he brought for Akefia.

"You have been with him for a while then?" This boy...was a prisoner too? Though he seemed rather happy about it. The demons power was strong, far stronger than that of his own.

"I guess. I have lost track of time. He came to me when I was young, and we have just been together since."

"Ryou!" Came a sharp voice, and Ryou stood up quickly just as the demon entered.

"I told you not to come see this one. Why do you disobey me? Do you wish for me to punish you again?"

"No Master...I was just curious was all. Forgive me, I will go back to my work" He moved to the door, and the demon grabbed the plate of food, throwing it at Ryou. It just missed his head, smashing against the wall and Ryou jumped.

"And do not waste MY FOOD on this one! Get out of here!" Akefia stood up just as Ryou ran out.

"What the hell? There's no need to treat him like that!" the demon turned to Akefia, and smirked.

"There is no reason for you to care about my slaves, so I would sit down, and shut your mouth, before you suffer the same punishment as he is going to"

"What's that then?!" Akefia snarled, and the demon gave a cruel chuckle, grabbing him brutally by the neck, slamming him roughly against the wall. He squeezed hard, bruises forming on the man's throat. Akefia gasped, clawing rapidly at the hand holding him.

He kicked him hard, nailing it right in the others stomach, causing the demon to stumble back unexpected, letting him go. Akefia pulled at the chains quickly, but it was too late as the demon smacked him hard in the face, pinning him to the ground by his neck again.

They squirmed and fought, but it was obvious the demon had the upper-hand, every blow Akefia managed to give the demon, the other gave twice as many, before Akefia was bloody and bruised, and exhausted. The demon however, had no scars, no bruises, and seemed as immaculate as ever.

"Well, I admire your spirit Thief King, but it will break sooner or later. You will succumb to me, if it is the last thing you do." Akefia said nothing in reply, just collapsed to the ground. He was sore all over, that had been a mistake. There was no winning a fight with a demon, and now he was in pain because of it. But he would not fall, he would not become a pet.

"Now, if you have stopped, I am going to deal with my Ryou. His punishment will be far worse than yours. He knows fine and well not to disobey me"

Akefia groaned, but said nothing, rolling over onto his side. Ryou...the boy. Such a pretty name for a young man.  
"Your Ryou? You treat him like an object?" Akefia snorted. He hated that, one thing he refused to accept was people who treated others like property. Slave markets, auctions, every one of those disgusted him.  
"Well, he is mine after all. He will not escape, I have owned him for many years."  
"But he disobeyed you, for a stranger. Are you positive he is loyal to you?" This was stupid, trying to get a rise from the demon. With others it was easier, to get them distracted enough to steal a key, or something. But this... _creature_ would not be as easy to manipulate.

"Hold your tongue, you know nothing of Ryou, or of me. Do as I say, and maybe your wounds will heal quicker. Or they could become infected, I'm not too picky either way."

Akefia tugged against his chains, and the demon cackled before turning away from him.  
"You know my name, at least tell me yours so I know what to curse at" Akefia snarled, eyes never off him, the other turned to him and shrugged.  
"You can call me what everyone else calls me, Master" And with that he slipped out the door, Akefia groaned and punched one of the sandstone walls. How could he have been so stupid to venture so far without food or water? He had lived in the desert for years, he had strayed too far. Idiot, and now here he was, for Ra knows how long stuck in this hovel.  
Fighting the demon had taken its toll, his body was battered and bruised, and he collapsed to the sandy floor quite quickly. It was painfully warm, and he could feel exhaustion taking over his body once more. _No_ No he wouldn't sleep, there was no need for him to sleep.  
But the idea of sleeping caused his eyes to slowly close once more, giving a soft sigh as he pressed his back against the wall. Luckily he was in the shade, there was no way he would be able to stand the heat of the sun.

It had been a few hours later before Ryou came back in, still his smiley self even though he was sporting a black eye, and some bruises on his neck.  
"Master wants you to eat this. Doesn't want you to get faint and die...something about a prized workhorse or something" He put the food down in front of Akefia, some sort of stew he noted. Akefia raised an eyebrow, before turning his head.  
"If you don't eat, he will force it down your throat. It really hurts when he does that, I suggest you finish it yourself" Ryou muttered and Akefia motioned to his hands.  
Ryou knelt down next to him, and lifted the bowl up.  
"I hear Master say you're a big threat back where you come from, is that true? Well you look terrifying. With that scar down your face. Did it hurt?"  
Akefia gave a soft smirk. This boy was rather talkative when given half the chance. He let Ryou feed him however, saying nothing. This boy could easily relay everything back to the demon, he refused to call him Master. Not on his life"

When he was done, Ryou offered him some more water.  
"If you're good, Master will let you out of these chains, I don't know why he keeps you in anyway. We've all tried to run, and it is hopeless. By the time you get past the red mountain he has already caught up to you. Master is...terrifying when he is angry."  
Akefia finished the water, and gave a shrug.  
"Whatever he is, he has the upper advantage. If he was a normal human being I could take him on without any problems. What do you mean by workhorse anyway?"  
Ryou smiled, glad to get at least a reply from the man, it was rare he had anyone to talk to.  
"Well he wants to put you to work obviously. He was complimenting your strength and perseverance. Master knows everything about everyone you see. Says it would be good having you on his side to intimidate rivals and steal things. Also you are strong, so you'd probably do a lot of heavy lifting. Master is having the well expanded, and he needs a lot of strong people for that...apparently I'm hopeless at it"

So he was to be put to work, like a slave. That was not a surprise at all. But he knew about his reputation, so there was no doubt the demon knew how hard he was to break as well. There was no way he would give up so easily.  
"So, what does your Master use you for then? If you can't help out with heavy lifting and what not?" He frowned when Ryou gave a soft blush, and stood up.  
"I am Masters personal servant. I bring him food, wash his clothes, make sure he is happy and healthy. Anything he wants do, I do it without a second thought."  
Akefia gave a snort, and sat with his back against the wall.  
"So what you are saying is, you're his little whore?" Ryou's blush grew redder, and he lifted the bowl and cup up, before excusing himself quietly, causing Akefia to smirk even more. So the demon had human vices after all, and must have had a nice little community if he was expanding a well. Maybe this was a far more organized situation than he first thought. Of course the Bandit King had a reputation, but it was assumed they were a small group of thieves and mercenaries that roamed the deserts. This, could be more interesting than he imagined.

However, he was left alone for the rest of the day. Ryou didn't return, and apart from a girl bringing him some water at night time, no one else came. Perhaps he had scared Ryou off? Though he didn't seem as innocent as he made out, and those bruises on his neck...and his eye were rather threatening. If the demon could do that to his loyal slaves, imagine what he could do to his enemies.  
Though he was a demon, of course he would be sadistic and cruel. That's what demons were like. But how did he get to the mortal world in the first place?  
There was so many questions, why he gave a damn was one of them. The plan should be to just get out as quick as possible. The minute he would be allowed out of these chains, he'd escape.  
But Ryou did say that he could catch anyone...a demon with supernatural powers. Would it really be that difficult to escape from this prison?  
Then again, he was the King of Thieves. He had escaped from far worse situations than this. He just needed to gain the demons trust, perhaps wait until he was allowed out to _work_ , there was no way he would suspect anything then. It would mean playing the long game, but he had time...after all he wasn't going anywhere in much of a hurry.


	2. A Bed of Coals

Winds howled, and sand swirled as a cloaked figure riding a horse, approached the walled camp. The darkness of night made it almost impossible to see the figure. Normal human senses would notice nothing usual about this night, but for the master of these lands, it caused him unrest.

'The Bandit King' was known for his reputation, a vicious man with a loyal band of mercenaries who would stop at nothing to expand his territory. Who destroyed villages and towns, leaving no prisoners.

To those who heard the tales, he was nothing more than a thief. But to those that met the creature, knew the true horror and power the being held.

The mortals worshipped the creature as a God, and the creature claimed more followers as he raided the towns and villages close to his territory, which was constantly expanding. His army was growing, and his reputation was reaching new heights.

The sentries outside the camp stood to attention, as the hooded figure drew closer.

"Halt! This camp and the surrounding land is private territory! You are not allowed any further!"

The figure however, did not stop, dismounting its horse, and walking up to the gate. Both sentries drew their swords, causing the figure to smirk.

Effortless wasn't the word to describe how easily the sentries fell, motionless and lifeless.

The figure stepped into the camp, which was quiet apart from the sentries at certain points. With that, the figure slipped through the shadows, quiet and careful. It made its way to the door of a building, lingering in the entrance before movement was spotted in the shadows beside it, and none other than the Bandit King stepped out.

"Malik, what are you doing here?! I knew I sensed another demon, do you not have innocent creatures to torment? You know not to approach my territory" The other demon looked amused, and lowered his hood.

"Why Bakura, I thought you loved my visits, besides I hear you caught a new prize that I have been interested in for a while."

Bakura gave a smirk, before stepping further into the room.

"Why yes, did Yami tell you? Always looking to cause trouble. To be fair, the prize did wander into my territory, and of course I have been keeping an eye on him since that night. I just figured, since the opportunity arose, I thought I would take it. First come first served, do you not think?"

Malik moved slowly, running fingers over fine fabric, causing Bakura to tense up, eyes never leaving the other demon. However, Malik took no notice as he moved around the room, examining his surroundings, looking far too comfortable.

"Rather nice place you have set up here, it has been how long since we last spoke? Since you deserted our master?"

"200 years" Bakura defended quickly. "And I was enjoying the peace and quiet that I have made for myself far too much. Besides, I did not desert Yami, he gave me the opportunity to leave, which I did without hesitation. Anyway, what do you want Malik? Why are you here?"

The other demons grin looked wider, and only then did he turn to look at Bakura.

"Yami wants control of the Pharaoh of Egypt, and he is asking for help from us underlings. He wanted to enquire with you, as you have a lot of mortals at your disposal. Of course he sent me, because we are still on good terms."

Bakura snorted, and gave a violent shake of his head.

"No, I fought for him before. He owes me for the service I provided. I am not risking my life, and the lives of my followers for a fools errand. He wants the King of Egypt? He can do that without my help. He should go about it the way us 'underlings' do, by making deals and being demons. Just because he is considered one of Lucifers generals does not mean we have to do as he says. He has no control over us Malik, we obey Lucifer directly, and to be honest when has he given a thought for the mortal world? Yami can flaunt his status all he wants. But I am not following him, and not ruining my years of work to get this place the way I like it."

They looked at each other, and Bakura turned on his heel.

"He does not control me any more. I was granted freedom after I fought for him, he breaks that then he breaks our deal."

Malik nodded, and turned back to the door.

"He considers himself above demon rules though, you know exactly what he is like. Anyway I shall leave you to it. I could try to persuade you to come back and join our wonderful leader, but to be honest I do not care enough. I was asked to come, so I came. I really should stop by more often though, this is a rather nice place you have" Malik turned, and gave a soft wink to Bakura, before he vanished.

With that, Bakura relaxed visibly. It had been a long time since he had been in touch with the demon world. Yami was considered the strongest in this area, and was constantly interfering with other demons, and mortals alike. The fact he was going after the Pharaoh just confirmed his arrogance. True demons were stronger than mortals. But the Pharaoh had numbers on his side. Even if Yami was strong, there was no way he could hold off thousands of mortals, no one but Lucifer was that strong.

He did feel unrest though. That visit was far too short, especially for Malik. He was the type of creature to linger and cause further problems. Why he had decided to travel all this way, just to bother Bakura was strange. Even if it was for Yami, well Yami knew never to choose Malik for jobs. Some would say the creature was far worse to deal with than Yami, a bloodthirsty brute of a demon who preferred torture over deals any day.

Bakura sighed, walking back to the bedroom. Ryou slept soundly on the bed, and the demon could not help but smile. He had known the mortal for such little time in demon years. He had fallen for mortal vices many times, but none more so than Ryou. He treasured the human more than he cared to admit. If Yami found out this weakness, there was no doubt Ryou would be used against him...he had to keep him safe.

-x-

The next day was the same as the previous, mortals working for their Master. Securing the wall around camp, digging, bringing in water.

Akefia woke up to the sound of talking outside the building. He had been imprisoned for a few months now, staring at the same walls, receiving beatings from Bakura for disobeying him. But he still refused, there was no way he would obey this monster. The tanned man gave a stretch, before looking at his wrists...there were no chains? He was free!

He shot up, running to the door, before he was met with the bright crimson eyes of the demon.

"Good morning Thief, you are eager this morning. Ready to obey me yet?" The grin caused Akefia's own expression to turn sour, and seeing Akefia's expression caused Bakura to chuckle.

"Well what do you expect? You have been living in the camp, but not contributing for a while now. Besides, the reason I brought you here was because of your physique. Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way" There was a pause between words, and Akefia grew more suspicious, but he was not about to fall, not now, not when he had spent so long fighting.

"You are stubborn, are you not? I like that, it is nice to have a mortal that has a little fight. These followers of mine make my life easier sure, but there is nothing like having a stubborn one to break. Bring him" Two large men stepped forward, and grabbed Akefia, who tried to struggle, but there was no way he was strong enough. Being stuck in chains for months, and suffering beating after beating had really made him weaker.

He was dragged out into the square, it seemed the whole camp was out to watch, even Ryou, who stood on Bakura's balcony kept an eye on the situation.

Akefia grunted as he was forced to the ground, shooting another cold glare at Bakura, there was no way he could break him, he had been through so much worse, so much torture. This was nothing.

"This mortal, has decided to defy your master. For that he will be punished, if you do not wish to suffer the same fate, show your loyalty to me."

The crowd of mortals collapsed to their knees, causing a sneer to form on Bakura's face.

"Well then, I guess that answers that concern. Kneel thief, give up. You will never escape, obey me, and your life will become so much easier. You can help me rule the world, your skills, my power, we would make an excellent team you and I"

Akefia refused, standing stubbornly as straight as he could, before the two men holding him forced him to the ground.

"Now then, I guess the hard way will have to do. Well not for me, I find this part rather fun. This is going to hurt, and this is going to cause you mental anguish as well. Just a side affect of demon magic on a mortal mind, though you have already experienced it, have you not? Please do not hold back, the more screams of agony you make, the happier you will make me"

With that he lifted a molten hot iron from a nearby fire pit, the tip was shaped in the form of a pentagram, with script not known in the mortal world. The demon started muttering in a language, chanting words. Black smoke surrounded the iron, before causing it to glow bright red. With that Bakura stabbed the metal into Akefia's skin, right on the hip of the mortal, who could not help but gasp in pain. However, apart from that he refused to make a sound as the dark magic travelled through his body. It was painful, the torture was ongoing. The burning iron melting into his body, and the pure power of magic travelling through his veins caused him to hiss. He could not yell, he would not give up. Akefia knew he could fight this, he had been through so much worse. He would not fall, not break, not to this demon.

After what felt like an excruciating amount of time, the torture finally stopped. He felt the scarred skin peel from the molten hot iron, and heard Bakura chuckle darkly.

"Look at that, now you are an object belonging to me. This mark stops you from leaving the camp. You could have had your freedom, if only you obeyed me, but here we are"

Akefia snarled, struggling against the two men who held him down.

"You tried to kill me once Thief, and you witnessed first-hand how well that worked out" The grin grew as the demon circled the mortal, eyes never leaving him.

"I will break you, pretty thief. I will stop you fighting me. One way or another, you will succumb"

Akefia was dragged up by the two men, as Bakura looked over him.

The other took the chance to spit in the demons face, causing Bakura to hiss and grab him by the throat, slamming him against a nearby wall.

"You're lucky I like you thief, otherwise your head would be mounted on my wall."

They both glared at each other, Akefia struggling to breathe against the tightness in his throat, slowly turning red at the lack of air. When he thought he was about to pass out, Bakura dropped him.

"Send him to dig, use whatever means necessary to get him to work."

The two men who had a hold of Akefia grabbed him again, and dragged him back through the camp.

Bakura turned back to the crowd, before he moved back to his building.

"Get back to work! You know now, the punishment if you don't obey!"

With that the crowd dispersed rather quickly, and Bakura walked into the building, to be met with Ryou, watching him carefully.

"He is unexpectedly stubborn, I thought he would cave by now. No mortal has stood up to you for this long" The younger muttered, and Bakura scoffed.

"Because you do not know any better. Most people succumb because they are petty farmers. This man has been through plenty in his lifetime. He will be harder to break."

Ryou frowned, and moved back when Bakura stepped further into the room.

"And does that annoy you, Master?" The demon sat on plush cushions, and beckoned Ryou to come closer. Ryou did as he was asked, and Bakura touched the back of the mortals neck, causing him to shiver.

"It makes it more fun. I would rather fight, I enjoy the suffering of others after all. Sometimes having this peaceful life can be far too boring. Having a bit of hatred and rivalry really livens things up."

Ryou relaxed carefully, looking towards the door. Of course Bakura loved this, it was very rare he had conflict. He only hoped Akefia was wise enough to know when to stop fighting. After all...obeying Bakura was not too bad in the end, he had followed him all his life though, so he could be biased.

-x-

The night was clear, and quiet. Stars covered the black sky, and shone as brightly as ever. Akefia stared up at them, with longing.

His back ached, and his feet even more. Bloody and sore from being beaten and forced to work. Branded by a iron...like he was some animal. This demon was vicious, perhaps giving up would be the best option. There was no way he could keep fighting an immortal creature of such sadism and hatred. It would be easier...safer if he just surrendered.

But giving up the fight would make him a slave, a useless sack of skin who would be forced to do as the master pleased...he had to keep fighting, there was no way he could give up his freedom, as long as he had air in his lungs, then he could keep fighting.

A sound at the door caused him to stir, and look up carefully...not the master, there was no way he could handle another beating. Not right now, he needed rest. Was the plan to exhaust him into submission, cause him to feel so much pain.

Just as he saw the shocking white hair, he moved back, before kind eyes met his, and he lowered his guard. _Ryou_ , of course. They looked so similar, him and the demon.

"I am not meant to be here, but Master is busy with other things, so I have a little bit of time. I brought some things to clean your wounds, if you would let me" After pausing for a minute, Akefia allowed him, giving a soft nod of his head, and Ryou stepped further into the small room.

"I am sorry, about what happened to you. Master has never had a toy as stubborn as you"

"I am not a _toy_!" Akefia shot back stubbornly, causing Ryou to jump slightly.

"Of course, sorry about that. Master sees you as a toy, something that can be broken...he likes the challenge you know, enjoys having someone to fight back" Akefia moved away from the touch, glaring at him.

"Why are you here? Why are you helping me, do you not have your _master_ to please? Why are you disobeying him for me, when he says you are ever so loyal" The Thief King turned to look at the petite man fully, who lowered his eyes to the ground.

"How do I know, whatever I say to you will not be transferred back to that monster? Hmmm. Are you pretending to be sweet to me, so you can be his little spy? Is that what you are playing at? You can lie to me all you want, about not being here, and your Master not allowing you to come see me. But as far as I am concerned, you are just another ally of him, and he is my enemy. So get this over and done with then piss off. There is no need to try and make pleasantries, I know why you are really here, so stop with the lies"

Ryou frowned, and moved to carefully clean the wounds, without giving a reply. Akefia hissed now and again when an especially raw wound was touched, but other than that they sat in silence, with the flickering candle Ryou brought in the only source of light, and heat.

When Ryou had finished, he moved to stand.

"I am not being a spy for Master. I do want to help you. Master is being exceptionally cruel to you for some reason, and he said if it was not for your importance you would have been dead long ago. He had a man...I am not actually sure it was a man, perhaps another demon like himself, he came last night. They were speaking about someone, and I am sure it was you. Whatever Master sees in you, another creature is after it too. I like you, and as I say, I do want to help you. Now, if you will excuse me I need to get back."

Akefia did not understand why Ryou was telling him this, why he was offering help. But right now it was possibly a stupid idea to reject the only source of kindness that he had received in many years. Perhaps he was suspicious, but this... _kid_ had never caused him any problems. He could try to let his guard down.

What was he saying?! This was a trick, a trick by the demon to get him all comfortable with Ryou. There was no way he would fall for this...sense of security. He had to fight the trick, no matter how kind Ryou was, there was no proof. As he had said, the Master had been with Ryou all his life, there was no way he would betray the creature that had been with him for so long.

Ryou left the building, having left the candle with him. He took a chance to stare at the light, the single flame flickering and dancing against the sandstone wall. Life was awful, and what had Ryou meant by another creature coming to see the Master. Another demon? And why did Ryou think it was after him? No matter what, something was going on, and he wanted to escape before he found out more. But having this mark...this symbol on his hip was not going to help. He had to find a way to escape, and at the moment...submitting to the demon was the only option, and he was not sure he wanted to do that just yet, but with his freedom on the line, he was not sure he would have another choice.


	3. Angels and Demons

Sand, miles and miles of the sparkling gold covered the landscape. Hills made entirely of the substance loomed in the distance, but there was nothing else. No water, no green, no life.

Ryou _hated_ the desert. He had come from a land of green and blue. Bright blue lakes shimmering with the sun, lush fields with forests of grass, dense and thick. How he missed those hills, those lakes, that grass. Teeming with life, _home_.

The whitette glanced up as he watched his master lounging on the other side of the room, relaxing in a pile of plush throws and pillows as eyes scanned a scroll. He had always been good at reading features, emotions. It was a trait he had picked up from his father, a man of genius and work, a scholar of religious texts and manuscripts.

It wasn't his fault his father decided to sacrifice his son to make a deal. Immortality, riches, power? No, his father craved knowledge. Yearning to discover the mysteries of this world they called home, and the demon was more than happy to make the trade. Why Bakura was happy to make the deal was beyond him. However he had only been a boy at that time, lost in the vast libraries of his fathers. He had lived such a sheltered life. Deserts and demons were only found in the books he studied, not in real life.

He could never read Bakura anyway.

Nor could he lie to him. The demon was all seeing, all knowing. He had fought against him, a silent war. Trying his best to defy every command. But Bakura did not give up, the terror and nightmares were constant. Years of sleepless nights, pain, torture. For a young boy it was too much, he could not fight against something that enjoyed causing pain, enjoyed the suffering he was going through.

When he stopped fighting, he was released from the shadows, the prison he had been locked in. On another plane of existence? He had no idea.

Time had no boundaries in that existence, all there was, all there had been, were shadows and suffering. Nightmares and horror. Death, and cold.

But he had barely aged, if he had aged at all. Still a young man, he felt no older anyway. But then again he had lost track of many things, why would he keep track of such a simple thing as his age?

He saw Bakura twitch, and watched him stand up quickly. It had to be helpful, having the ability to sense things others could not. He could predict visitors, intruders, new slaves. He could see beyond that of a mortal, keeping track of his territory, the towns and villages under his control. It was terrifying, how much power, how unstoppable the demon really was.

Two men entered the room, bowing in the presence of Bakura. There were so many followers of Bakura, most of them he did not recognize, or did not care to anyway. A few who he knew, or he saw often, but that was really it. Apart from that thief Bakura had taken a liking to.

It made sense as to why. They had a similar appearance, Ryou thought, both strong and durable. Unlike himself who was nothing but skin and bones, told to stand and look pretty for his master. Sometimes he wished he could go outside, leave Bakura and walk the small camp, enjoy the sun and the bustle of people.

But there was something about going out alone, being alone, that Bakura seemed to dislike when it came to Ryou. He had to either be by Bakura's side, or be guarded by some of Bakura's most trusted.

Bakura had taken his likeness on, when they first met. His father had said nothing, just shoved him forward. He remembered the cold, uncaring voice.

" _Do the deal" The man muttered, a frail man with a thick moustache and wide bushy eyebrows. Similar white, though more greying white hair like that of his son._

" _You're rather eager, are you not mortal? To give away your first born in pursuit of knowledge. Tell me, is it really worth it? Selling your flesh and blood for all the knowledge in the world?"_

" _We are not here to talk, we are here to make a deal. You wanted my child, this is my child. Do the deal" Ryou turned to his father, wide eyes filled with fear. The creature of shadows stood before them both, an entity of darkness. He could not make out a form, just a mass of dark tendrils that filled the other side of the room, glowing red eyes the only thing to focus on, in the mass of darkness._

" _As you wish, let us shake on it then, seal the deal" A long tendril of shadows split from the darkness, slinking over to the man, caressing Ryou's cheek in the process, causing him to shiver with fear._

" _No papa, wait what are you doing?!" The boy cried, tears filling his chocolate brown eyes, the older man however, did not look at all. He did nothing but grab the shadow, and all of a sudden a flash of purple._

Ryou jumped slightly at the memory, glancing around him. Bakura was still in conversation with the two men, who were both still kneeling in front, heads down. Ryou could make out something about a border, not that he really cared. He wasn't here to think, he was here to look pretty.

With a soft sigh he turned back to look out at the sand. Life hadn't been too bad. Bakura wasn't the worst when he obeyed. In fact, when he obeyed the demons commands, he found the demon...rather pleasant to live with. He was looked after, fed, he was treated like a pet.

He glanced over when Bakura became angered, grabbing one of the men and slamming him against the wall. The violence and anger swept Bakura so quickly, it was unpredictable when he would turn.

"I told you, I do not care for that King beyond my borders. He knows and I know that we have our territories. You are to do as you are told and continue expanding South, not North. I do not care what resources they have there, the closer we get to Egypt, the closer we get to Yami." Ryou perked up at that, he had only heard that name mentioned once before when that stranger had arrived. Something strange was going on with Bakura whenever that name was mentioned...he became paranoid.

"Y...yes master, of course, forgive us. We shall continue expanding in the direction you choose" The other man stepped forward, giving a low bow and Bakura dropped the man he had slammed against the wall.

"That is what I expect from mortals, no questions, just work. Now hurry up and get out of my sight. I'm sick of looking at the pair of you" Both men gave low bows before hurrying out of the room.

Ryou took the chance to look over Bakura while he was angered. He looked more...human when he let his emotions rise. Just a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. To anyone that didn't know better, he could be a stranger, nothing special. Apart from the shocking white hair and bright crimson eyes of course.

When Bakura glanced over to him he took the chance to turn to look out the window once more, expecting Bakura to say something, to be sarcastic and mocking like he usually was, but no retort came. Instead Bakura turned on his heel, and walked quickly out the building after the men. Leaving Ryou fully alone for the first time in years.

He didn't think of it at first as he continued to stare out the window, before realizing no others were coming in to keep an eye on him, it was just himself. With a soft frown he stood from his nest of pillows, and glanced around the room. He had been trapped here for many years, he knew the hiding places, the nooks and crannies. But to get a good look without the threat of Bakura watching his every move, was... _different_.

Ryou moved to step up the stairs, hopefully he could get a better view from the balcony.

As he reached the landing, he noticed a shadow on the wall. Of course curiosity had to get the better of him, as he stepped into the room and saw a man he had never seen before...more like a creature. There was something unnatural about the way he examined the surroundings. Bright blonde hair spiked up haphazardly.

"For a mortal, you look so similar to the Bandit King, I wonder why he decided to take your likeness? Bakura has been very vain, and I have known him for many thousands of years" The voice, it caused shivers to ride down Ryou's spine, bright amethyst eyes, unnatural and piercing turned to meet his own chocolate orbs. The creature... _demon_ Ryou corrected. He had been around Bakura enough to sense they had similar energy. However, unlike Bakura, he could feel a certain aura resonating from this creature.

It took him a moment to think, before dashing back down the stairs, he was about to reach for the door when the man appeared in front of him.

"Now now mortal, where do you think you are heading? I would rather you not alert Bakura to my presence. Not yet anyway, Malik was ever so kind to give me more information about this place. It is nice, Bakura's kingdom. He has done really well for himself. So, what are you to him? An obedient servant?" The purr that left the demons lips caused him to feel another involuntary shudder, and he stepped back even further, back pressed against the wall.

"What is the matter dear, cat got your tongue? I do know my very presence makes mortals cower in fear, of course I am the most powerful demon in the land" A smirk caressed the creatures lips as he complimented himself, taking the chance to move closer to Ryou, looking over him with an intensity he had never felt before.

"I...I am...am his p-p-per...personal servant" Ryou managed to stutter, trying to control his trembling. Why did this creature make him feel such fear? There was a moments pause, before a noise was heard outside.

"Hmmm fun's over for today, tell him Yami says hi." With that the door opened and Bakura entered the building again. Ryou turned back to where Yami was, only to find the figure had disappeared. Bakura looked over Ryou warily, stepping further into the house, looking around.

"It looks like you have seen a ghost, what is the matter? Scared of another scorpion or something?"

Ryou took a moment to clear his throat, straightening himself out and trying to calm down.

"When you left, I went up the stairs because I wanted to look out from the balcony and get some sun...there was a man...he told me to tell you, Yami says hi?" Ryou's memory had gone blank with any other information. The fear he had felt around that creature had been something he had never felt before.

However the words caused Bakura's skin to grow paler, which was a feat in itself. He groaned, pressing a hand against his forehead.

"And who said that? Do you have a description? Anything at all Ryou" Bakura moved closer to him, and Ryou couldn't help but step closer as well. He had never felt as much safety at this moment in time, as he did in the presence of Bakura. It was strange, his master being the one he felt most secure around.

"He had blonde...spiked hair, amethyst eyes...but really light skin, like our own. His voice was really deep, and felt like he could kill me with one look...I...I don't know what else. He wore...blue robes I guess? Sort of a dark blue...if that helps?"

The first time he had felt Bakura touch him, it had been unpleasant and absolutely awful. The act was terrible and painful. However when he felt Bakura wrap strong arms around him, he felt safe and protected, and at that moment he knew there was no place he'd rather be. He had spent years dreaming of an escape from the prison that Bakura kept him in, locked away like a caged bird. But Bakura offered safety, if he escaped where would he go? How would he survive. His father had given him up so easily, his only family...who he didn't know if he was even still alive.

Bakura was his life now, and though he would of fought against that before, he did realise that it was the best thing for someone like him.

"Yami has seen your face, he knows of you now. This is just fantastic(!) Now he is going to come in here, and flaunt around like he owns the place. I hate that bastard. He cannot just leave me in peace, to keep to my own life. I don't bother him, don't tread in his territory. I keep to myself, stick to making my deals."

"Now now, I don't do that all the time" The familiar voice caused Ryou and Bakura to both look around, the man stood at the base of the stairs, a grin dancing across his face. Beside him, a hooded man with lavender eyes, Ryou took the chance to move behind Bakura, who immediately stood in front to protect him.

"Why Bakura, I have never seen you hold so much affection. You care about this mortal? The cold hearted Bandit King, caring for someone that is not himself, how strange. What has this creature done to you?"

Bakura said nothing, pupils nothing but thin slits. He kept in front of Ryou, snarling under his breathe.

"Why are you here General? What do you want?"

"Oh, now now. No need to be so formal. It has been a while since we last spoke, I thought we were friends~ We did part on _such_ good terms after all" The voice of the demon was light, carefree. While Bakura was tense and panicked. Ryou thought Bakura could sense anything, why had he been unable to sense the presence of this demon?

"Malik told you earlier. I require your services, and he told me you refused. Well I thought it was about time I would come see you myself, I've given you plenty of freedom. You're starting to approach Dartz's territory, and he is not too happy about seeing you close to his borders."

Bakura snorted, glaring over to Malik who shrugged softly.

"Yes, I have been growing in power, and in mortals. But I will not step on any toes. Dartz is safe there in the East. You know me General, I do not wish to cause any trouble with demons. I've fought for my freedom, a freedom you granted me. You would be going back on our deal, and you know what that means."

Yami's grin never left his face, as he moved closer to Bakura, who held Ryou back.

"I want to go after the Pharaoh of Egypt, as I am sure Malik has already explained to you. I need numbers, and you have a decent sized following. I ask to 'borrow' half. I will make sure to pay you back handsomely. You do not even need to fight, and you don't need to send your strongest. I just need a distraction."

"If I do this, will you leave me alone?" Bakura snarled, hand still gripping Ryou's shoulder, keeping him behind. Yami's eyes flicked to the mortal, and he tilted his head. Without warning he stepped past Bakura, and moved up close to Ryou.

"It is a pretty one, where did you find this mortal Bakura? I've never seen any with this colour of hair before." Bakura pulled Ryou away from the other, lifting him into his arms. He did so with ease, as Ryou weighed almost nothing in comparison.

"None of your business General. Now, will you leave me alone?"

Yami stood with a soft sigh, glancing out the window closest to them.

"Fine fine, if you lend half your mortals, I will leave you alone for the time. I mean to be honest I wouldn't even be coming to see you if it wasn't in desperation. Malik has one mortal, and Dartz has barely any to spare as well."

"You have one mortal?" Bakura frowned curiously, turning to Malik. "I thought you hated the idea of owning mortals?"

Malik said nothing, clearing his throat and lowering his eyes to the ground.

"It's the first time I've seen him so quiet, what have you done to him General?" Bakura took the chance to smirk, for the first time in Yami's presence.

"I took his mortal away. Seems Malik over here is growing as soft as you are. He will get it back when he fulfils his end of the deal we've made." Bakura's grip tightened around Ryou at the thought of that.

"Fine, I will prepare half my followers for you. I mean to be fair that is roughly six thousand souls, I do want them back however, one way or another. Do you know how hard it is to keep mortals? True they breed like rabbits but their growth takes a while." Ryou kept his eyes to the ground. So Bakura thought of them as nothing but animals? To raise to work, or whatever else Bakura used his following for.

"In return, because this seems to be a rather one sided deal. I want to keep an eye on Yugi, just to make sure you stick to your end of the bargain."

It was Yami's turn for the smile to drop, though only momentarily before the grin appeared again.

"Deal, I will get it back soon enough, so it doesn't bother me. Just don't damage it, it's pretty to look at. Have the mortals ready, I want that Pharaoh under my control as soon as possible. Malik will be here to bring them to me when the time is right. In return..."

Yami moved his hands in the air, small glyphs began to form, before a red aura began to grow. All of a sudden, a young man no older than Ryou appeared, looking beautiful and angelic. Fluffy white wings were folded at his back. He tilted his head before turning to see Yami.

"Master!" He squeaked, bowing low to the ground. Yami remained emotionless, the smirk he held on his face having disappeared.

"You are to stay in the company of Bakura for a while, just while I stick to the end of my deal. You are to do as he says within reason. You know not to run, even though I will not be here, I can still trace where you go. Trying to fly home will not help you." Yugi said nothing more, keeping his eyes to the ground, and keeping his head bowed.

"Good, I will leave these two then. Maximum of five days until I require the mortals, but then again I will tell you and Malik when the time comes. I appreciate this favour Bakura, and I will stick to my word"

With that the demon disappeared, and the looming cloud that had seemed to cover the encampment gave way to magnificent sunshine once more.


	4. A Friend From on High

_Heat, terrible, terrible heat like no other. Fire sparking, lighting nearby grass and trees. Smoke, it was hard to breath, hard to think. All he knew, was the unbearable heat was inching closer, licking the tips of his fingers. He was being burned alive._

Akefia gasped as he awoke. It was still dark outside, cold air danced through the mud hut, lifting the white hair ever so slightly. With a groan he pushed himself up, taking a second to glance at the mark on his hip, a sign of ownership... _damn_.

It had been so long since he had lost his freedom, he hadn't bothered counting days any more. A chance to escape was slim to none, even the thought of being free was at the back of his mind, rather than the forefront it used to be at. Now he had only one goal, to survive this wretched prison.

He had found allies, in the work and toil of daily life. Men and women who had been forced in the same position, who were not strong enough to fight against their demon overlord. There had to be a way to rise up against him. But the power the creature held was immense, no one dared to go up against him, and he hadn't seen anyone defy him. Not since he had tried.

With a sigh he rested his back against the wall. Life was filled with simple pleasures now, water after a long day of work, rest to soothe his aching muscles, _Ryou_. He couldn't help but smirk when he thought of the young man, though he soon caught himself. He couldn't trust the boy, but there was something about him. They were drawn to each other, by some strange force. Akefia noticed that whenever the young man was nearby, he couldn't help but gravitate towards him. They allowed each other subtle glances, sly smirks. He was sure Ryou could feel it as well. The way he caught the other staring, then glancing away with a blush when their eyes met. Something was there, though he had no idea what. Not yet anyway.

Akefia stayed awake until the sunrise, the sound of a bell ringing across the prison. Time for food and another day of labour. With a grunt he pushed himself up and headed for the door. He was one of the lucky ones though. He had an area mostly to himself, the others slept in cramped mud huts. But other than two guards outside his small area, he was never paired with anyone. He would have expected Bakura to force him to lose his privacy after a while, but it was one luxury he could enjoy, for the moment.

Stepping through the dusty, makeshift streets, he joined the line of people waiting for their share of whatever disgusting nourishment the master decided to provide for them today. He hadn't seen Bakura for a few days now, nor Ryou come to think of it. Usually the demon was lording over them in some way, watching their progress.

After he had received his food he moved to sit next to a few of the people he worked with. Not usually one to socialize, it was a nice way to forget about the suffering they all had to go through. They laughed and joked about the prettiest women, the weather, the strangers who came from the other camps.

Akefia joined in now and again, but tended to keep his eyes peeled. Any slip in guard, any change that would give him a chance to run, but no chance ever revealed itself.

"So, where do you think the Master is? I aint seen him around for a few days now." One of the workers, Jou he was sure his name was said, taking a bite from the stale bread on his own plate.

Akefia shrugged, taking a drink of water.

"Not sure, I've not seen any sign. Though I guess it's better for us, less chance of punishment." The other man, Tristan muttered.

They finished eating, and moved to their respected jobs. Having finished digging Akefia had been moved to help fortify one of the walls of the camp, lifting bricks to be placed to make the defences stronger. He made sure to pass as close as he could to the demons home, hoping to spot a glimpse of Ryou. Anything to lighten his mood.

Today he was in luck, as he saw the other at the front door, talking with one of the women. Ryou seemed deep in conversation, though glanced up and their eyes locked. Akefia gave a sly wink, causing Ryou's face to go red, well a light pink considering the boys pale complexion. The woman glanced over and he turned back to continue walking. No point winding the boy up any more today, if the demon found out he'd be punished, though to see the look on Ryou's face was completely worth it. It did tend to brighten his day seeing the other, how pathetic he had gotten, to be enamoured by a young man. It was being out in this desert sun for far too long. He was sure of it.

-x-

The day was going better than most. The work wasn't too difficult and he had good company, sometimes being paired up with the correct people was all that mattered, and seeing Ryou had really lifted his spirits more than normal.

As the day wore on, a loud ringing of a bell was heard, and Akefia followed suit of the others, who dropped what they were doing and made their way to the centre of the camp. Bakura was calling them, he was not too sure if he should be worried or what, the master hadn't been seen for days after all.

As they crowded around the centre, Bakura appeared on a raised up platform. He looked happy, which was terrifying. A happy Bakura meant a bad day for those around him. He had learned that from the others that worked here. Bakura thrived off pain and torture, it was what made him... _him_.

"I want all the women and children to separate from the men, quickly now" The crowd muttered to themselves, but did as they were told. Akefia noticed a hooded man, with lavender eyes watching over the situation. Akefia glared as Bakura approached him.

"Don't look so angry Thief King, you should relax more~" Bakura purred. "Now follow me, you must have learned not to fight against me by now"

How Akefia wanted to fight, wanted to refuse. But he knew it was hopeless. With a roll of his eyes he followed Bakura to the front, and was directed to stand beside Ryou. Well, there could be worse things.

"Now, I want the men to line up in years, oldest down this end, youngest down the other. Hurry up, we don't have all day." Akefia noted how strange this exercise was, but no one said anything, apart from muttering to try and figure out ages and who should go where. It wasn't as quick as separating the genders but still, they managed to do it in a pretty good time.

When they had finished organizing themselves Bakura hand selected them, separating them yet again into two groups. It was a lengthy process, and he did the same with the women, then the children. No one had any clue what was going on, but did as they were told out of fear of being punished.

"How is this selection then Malik? Do you think it will do for Yami? This is the main camp so it was a better idea to leave this until last." The hooded figure stepped forward, examining the crowd before nodding. "It will do, Yami wasn't specific in the mortals he wanted, I'm sure it's just for a distraction." Bakura nodded, before turning back to the crowd.

"The ones on this side are going away now. Your orders are to obey the demon you are about to meet, do not stutter and do not hesitate. He is far worse than I will ever be" With that Malik began chanting. The crowd looked worried, a couple of mothers gasped, trying to run to cling to the children they had been separated from. Akefia glanced around to see if any one he knew was going, but he couldn't make out any familiar faces in the large crowd. After a minute of chanting, the hooded figure and the crowd of people, vanished.

Mothers began wailing for their children that had disappeared, men looked for their partners, wives, families. Everyone was in a panic, not knowing where their loved ones had been taken. Children had been separated from mothers and fathers, and stood with tears pricking their eyes.

"Now get back to work! Hurry up or you will receive far worse punishment." The crowd was moved away and split by the guards, some people trying to comfort crying children, others looking on worried. Akefia glanced over to Bakura, who turned to him with a grin.

"Not you, I want to experiment with you, come with me"

Akefia did as he was told, following the demon into his abode. It was a rather nice house, compared to his own mud shack. Ryou was following after him, and when he was sure Bakura wasn't looking, Akefia gave him a pinch. Ryou looked up in shock, before rolling his eyes, unable to hide a slight smirk that caused Akefia to smile back.

Akefia noticed another young man, about Ryou's age, watching over the situation. He noticed white...wings? White feathered something sticking out of his back, causing him to look on curiously. He had never seen a creature like that before.

"I have a deal to make with you Thief King." Bakura's voice caused him to look up, and glare defiantly. All Ryou told him, when they got the chance to speak, was that Bakura thrived on deals, all demons did. It was how they got their strength and power, it was how they even spoke to each other. Bakura making a deal could not mean good news for him.

"I will let you go, if you do a simple favour. I want you to do what you do best, and steal something for me." Akefia snorted, folding his arms.

"Will I be free? Or will I still have to follow you? Also, depends what you want me to steal. I may be the best, but there are some things that even I wont steal."

"Why I never knew the King of thieves had morals. I am not willing to release you indefinitely, but an arrangement could be made if you prove yourself. Besides, it's nothing that you have not done before. A tomb of a King, with a single ruby that I desire. It is said to be an angelic artefact, and I would love to get rid of those things." The young man in the corner flinched, wings ruffling ever so slightly.

"I am not getting my freedom, so I wont. Thanks for the offer, but I prefer working in your dusty hell hole than doing favours for you. Are you just doing it to torment that guy? He's an angel, isn't he?" He smirked, pointing over to Yugi, who kept his head to the ground.

"No, I want to get rid of all angelic things. I'm just looking after this creature for someone. If it was up to me it would be dead. I don't care much for angels. They're annoying, stupid creatures who think there is good in everyone. This one made the mistake of thinking one of my kind had good in him, and now it's stuck here. Stupid really." The angel said nothing, wings again ruffling ever so slightly, eyes sticking to the ground.

"Anyway, if you refuse you can get back to work. I wont try to persuade you, because you're as stubborn as I am, I just thought I would give you the option" Akefia rolled his eyes, before stepping to the door.

"You say angels are stupid, but demons seem to be just as idiotic. Thinking I would work for you when it is obvious I hate you. I'm sure he would have been able to figure it out sooner" Akefia shrugged before walking out the door. Bakura's eyes became slitted for a brief second, before a grin danced across his features.

"I do still really like him, still fighting against me. Such pride runs through him. I will break him, I want him to be mine. Ryou, you're in charge of looking after the angel, if it does anything report straight to me. I better catch up with Yami and Malik. The rest of you, out!" He demanded, and the guards did as they were told, moving to step outside. Bakura collapsed onto one of the chairs, before his eyes glazed over, the usual red crimson and white turning completely into a foggy purple. Ryou sighed, before turning to the angel, who was fidgeting slightly, still looking down to the ground.

It was the first time he had ever seen an angel. But of course it made sense, if demons were real then angels would be too. They would be rare for him to see because he spent all of his time around demons...no angel would be foolish enough to come close.

"Are you hungry at all?" Ryou asked suddenly, and the angel looked up in surprise, before shaking his head slightly.

"I'm sorry you are stuck here. It must be awful for an angel. I mean it's bad enough for me, but I'm only mortal. Angels are far more impressive." The other gave a soft smile, before shrugging.

"Oh I don't know, I find mortals wonderful. With so much free will and capability. I love to serve god, but to see the freedom you have, the emotions you have, it's really amazing." Yugi smiled softly, glancing over to Bakura, who didn't move.

"Oh, he does this from time to time. I am not entirely sure what he does, but he is not currently here. I could get you something to eat...or drink? Though I don't know what angels eat...or drink actually. Do you have a preference?" The angel gave another soft smile, before shaking his head.

"We don't tend to eat, that's a mortal necessity that we don't care for. But thank you for your kind offer, you are very sweet. How did you come to be here, with this demon?"

Ryou shrugged, sitting down on the plush throws and cushions.

"My father was a man of knowledge, he made a trade, I was the thing he traded. I never really knew he cared so little...but yeah, here I am now. But I do not mind it, not really. If I obey Bakura is nice to me, and where else would I go? Yes I would love to be free, but I would probably just fall slave to someone bigger and stronger than me anyway. I get food, water, sleep here, and safety. So I guess I do not really have it bad"

The angels wings fluffed out a bit, before glancing over to Bakura once more.

"If we escaped together, I could bring you with me. We could go back to my home, and I would help you. I wouldn't ask for anything in return, I don't like the idea of that. But I am sure with the two of us, we could do it together. Especially now, that it's just me and you? I would finally be free from that evil creature who tortures me"

Ryou frowned, looking over to Bakura, before shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, thank you for your kind offer, but...Bakura is my Master. I really shouldn't disobey him. Freedom sounds nice, but I have lived with him most of my life now...he protects me, and he would find me anyway. We became connected when he made the deal with my father, so he would be able to trace my whereabouts" Yugi looked disheartened, but said nothing else about it, choosing to examine Ryou carefully.

"You have strange coloured hair, for a mortal. I have not seen anyone with as pure hair, it is a lovely colour." The smile on Ryou's face grew, and he gave a soft blush.

"Thank you, my mother had similar hair to me, well so I was told by my father, he had quite similar hair as well actually. It's the same colour as you're wings, can you really fly?"

It was Yugi's turn to smile, and gave a soft nod, fluttering his wings, extending them so the other could see.

"They're beautiful. I've never seen anything like them." He was about to continue, when Bakura stirred and Yugi closed his wings quickly, standing up straight. Ryou sat still and stoic, keeping his eye on Yugi but saying nothing.

Bakura seemed to wake from a sleep and gave a soft tsk when he saw the angel still there, before turning to Ryou, standing up and walking over to him. Had Bakura heard what he had said? Had he really been away elsewhere?

"Your master is coming back for you soon. I do not know why he decided to choose an angel, but the General is a strange creature." He said, directed at Yugi, but focused his attention on Ryou. He ran his fingers softly through the others hair, causing the mortal to look up at him, confused expression on his face.

Just like that, and in a puff of shadows Yami appeared, an unconscious mortal slung over one shoulder, he could make out faint features, but Ryou had no idea who this person was, was it the Pharaoh? That the demon wanted so bad?

Yugi however, seemed to gasp when Yami returned, his wings folding tight against his back. He lowered his head and kept silent, though shaking in obvious fear.

"You remember our deal, I upheld my part, now you can take your angel and leave me alone, and make sure to tell Malik not to come back either." Yami gave a smirk at Bakura's request, and nodded, beckoning Yugi closer to him. The angel glanced back at Ryou, before doing as he was told, stepping beside Yami.

"Of course, I always stick to my deals. Thank you for this, just what I needed to add to my collection. All that power, I could use it for my own benefit, who knows Bakura, we could be neighbours soon, then we would have to work together"

Bakura seemed to perk up at the thought of that, and turned to look at Yami.

"Actually, that could benefit both of us, Egypt has been a thorn in my side. There is a chance of us working together on that aspect, General. I would rather deal with you than some stubborn mortal Pharaoh who has it stuck in it's head that it's magnificent and all powerful. Tell me if you are taking over Egypt, and I'm sure we could work something out"

Yami smirked at that thought, giving a nod before he disappeared, along with the unconscious Pharaoh and the angel. Ryou gave a soft sigh, it had been nice having a friend here to talk to, but being alone again with Bakura...

"Now, I heard you speaking to that angel. It wanted to escape, but you refused. You had the chance to be free from me, but you chose not to? Why?" Ryou's cheeks were dusted pink, the blush rising further before he coughed.

"I know you're all powerful master, I would never wish to escape you" Bakura smirked, before running his fingers through Ryou's hair.

"You're sweet, keep it up, this is why you're my favourite" The other chuckled, before turning to walk outside. After all, he had people to organize, though Ryou thought he noticed a spring in his step. Maybe they were starting to think more of each other? Who could tell.


	5. Angelic Desires

_And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgement on the great Day._ \- **Jude 1:6**

Considered the messengers of God, Angels were considered to be all good and holy, divine beings who had powers to assist God, and assist Mortals with worshipping the Lord. Ryou knew very little about demons, but where he had come from, the time period or whatever, there had been plenty scriptures in his fathers office on the study of Angels.

He had managed to sneak one or two out of his fathers study now and again to read, though it wasn't too interesting. To see one in the flesh had been a shock, but the lasting effects had been more interesting.

Ryou found he couldn't stop thinking of the Angel that was in the camp weeks prior, talking to him about freedom, about escaping this pit of despair and torture, to see the place in his dreams, and memories. With crystal blue waters and emerald grass. With mountains capped with pure white snow. Only in his dreams had he experienced tranquillity such as that.

He could not remember where he saw that image, maybe in his past, maybe with his father? In his previous life, the life before the Master.

The whitette hadn't thought he'd meet the Angel again, with the disdain Bakura showed he was sure he would in fact, never meet any Angel again.

However, in the weeks that followed, The Master was in the camp less and less, and when he did return he was on edge and always irritated. He found relaxation in torturing that Thief that he caught so long ago, the one that continued to foolishly defy the Master.

He thought there would be an uprising, but the slaves who worked in the camp continued to obey without question, any disobedience was met with strict discipline from a few of Bakura's worshippers, the ones most loyal to the demon, who considered him to be a God.

Ryou disliked the loyal ones. Even though Ryou was Bakura's favourite by far, these were humans Bakura trusted with important tasks, like assisting to run his camp and the outer camps that were dotted across his territory. They were the first to tell Bakura if there were problems, concerns, or disobedience.

Also if Ryou was being disobedient. They were always so happy to tell the demon whenever Ryou did something wrong, always with a grin or a smirk.

While Bakura was away, one of them had to be by Ryou at all times. To make sure he didn't try to escape, or try anything else for that matter. Ryou tried not to give them any pleasure, anything to tell Bakura about . Even though they were quick to tell if Ryou had done something wrong, none of them lied to the Master. Bakura could read the emotions of mortals like they were books. The few that had tried to lie, to gain favours were quickly punished.

It was one of those days, that Bakura's second in command was watching over him. Cold blue eyes and short brown hair. Ryou had once heard the Master compare him to a Priest of some description, but Ryou only knew he hated the mortal Seto. Such a cold individual that had sworn loyalty only to Bakura, and Ryou could tell Bakura trusted him the most. Rarely was Seto punished, or in trouble, even less so than Ryou.

Ryou glanced up from his place on one of the soft pillows. Seto was standing in a corner, silent and motionless as he watched over the other. It bothered Ryou, a mortal like him to be so loyal to the demon. Seto treated Bakura like he was the only thing that mattered, the only thing they should be living for.

He was reminded of when Bakura first met Seto, the defiance was similar to that Akefia held now. However that was soon broken, and when Bakura demonstrated his power Seto seemed to stop fighting instantly. Since then he had proven himself a thousand times over. Killing people without hesitation, anything the Master ordered Seto did.

But Ryou never spoke to him, he didn't really care for the attitude of the other. Stubborn, emotionless, he was like a demon himself.

Quite the opposite of the Angel, beautiful and honest, the more he dreamed about him the more he longed to see him again, to be in the presence of the other.

Just as Ryou began to daydream again, he saw Seto stir from his position, and move to stand closer to the door, as if predicting what was to happen next. As soon as he did, Bakura walked through, a rather large grin spread across his face. Seto gave a low bow, causing Bakura to nod over to him.

"Ah so you were looking after Ryou today. Hmm, I want you to leave this to someone else, the thief tried to escape from camp, and managed to kill two of our men in the process. If you were on the job I would have more faith that something like that wouldn't happen."

Seto kept to a bow, eyes low to the ground, almost in shame.

"Forgive me Master, Ryou has been acting different lately, so I thought it would be best I take over his watch for a time. I would never let that thief get the best of me." Bakura had turned his attention to Ryou, who felt a soft blush cover his pale cheeks. Seto had noticed?! Of course he had, the man knew everything, how could he have been so stupid. He hadn't really thought of hiding his emotions when Bakura was away.

"What do you mean Ryou has been acting different? Why did you not tell me immediately?" Seto did not rise from his position, and kept his eyes to the ground.

"It was a hunch, and I do understand you do not like it when our emotions cloud our thoughts. I thought I was just imagining things, I wanted to make sure it was something to notify you with, instead of wasting your time. He is paying attention less, and reading more scrolls about Angels, as well as reading the ones we do have over and over again. He would rather be kept inside than step foot outside, and we both know he prefers walks outside usually." Ryou gave a huff but said nothing, deciding to hide behind one of the plush pillows.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention Seto. I would like you to punish the thief for me. Do not kill him, just make sure he cannot walk tomorrow. I also want you to kill the two that were so careless as to letting him escape, and make sure to warn the others about being so stupid" Seto gave another low bow, before stepping outside the building. The minute he had gone, Bakura's attention turned back to Ryou.

"Well, do you want to explain your actions to me?" Bakura smirked, stepping closer to him. Ryou flinched away, and turned his eyes to the floor.

"I should have told you sooner, I'm sorry Master. But you've been so busy, I didn't want to disturb you." He glanced back up to Bakura, who was watching him intently.

"The Angel...the one we saw. I don't know why, but I can't help thinking of him. Every thing I do, I am reminded of him. Of what he said to me, about...escaping you and...just being around him. I don't know what's wrong, and I would never act on those feelings Master, I promise you. Nothing else is working however, no matter how hard I try, I just can't stop thinking about him." Ryou lowered his head, giving a soft sigh. He felt Bakura sit beside him, and looked back up, straight into the demons eyes.

"Perhaps it has put an enchantment on you, though I have never heard an angel be able to do that before? Close your eyes, let me see." Ryou did as he was told, feeling Bakura's hands on both sides of his head. Without warning, a surge of energy rushed through him, before it stopped, and there was nothing but a high pitch whistling in his ear for a few seconds.

"Now open your eyes" Again, Ryou was obedient, opening soft chocolate coloured eyes to stare into Bakura's crimson ones once more.

"Shit" Was all Bakura said, before he stood up and walked to one of the shelves in the room, grabbing a scroll. By the expression on the demons face Ryou could tell, he was right about the enchantment.

-x-

Akefia groaned as he fell to the ground, two of Bakura's underlings towered over him. The agony had went on for most of the morning already, and Akefia was in so much pain. He had found a way to escape, and he had killed two of these bastards already. These weren't demons, mortals like he was, they bled exactly like he did.

But his hands and feet were bound, and he was gagged. They punched and kicked him, burned him with hot knives and scarred his body. When they finally stopped, Akefia had no strength to stand, he was almost willing to beg for forgiveness to stop the torture, even then it only stopped when Bakura entered the small hut, with Ryou in tow.

"Seto, that is enough, I think the thief has learned his lesson. Leave us, you have done an excellent job" The one called Seto gave a low bow, and the two mortals left without hesitation.

"I thought we had broken you already, I'm quite glad to see you still have fight left in you." Bakura undid the gag, and Akefia snarled softly.

"I acted out because I missed spending time with you" He retorted sarcasticly, and Bakura chuckled.

"Of course you did, sorry it couldn't be me, Ryou has a little infection going on that I wanted to fix. Otherwise I wouldn't miss out on the chance to beat the living shit out of you. You have also found a weakness in my security, so that has been sorted. I guess it's quite helpful having the King of Thieves around to make sure there are no instabilities." Bakura said nothing else, forcing himself to sit up. Bakura nodded to Ryou who stepped closer.

"You have ten minutes Ryou, then we're going, you are lucky you have a little guardian angel thief, I was going to just leave you to die this time. But Ryou knows how to persuade me." With that the demon stepped out of the building, and Akefia turned his attention to Ryou, giving a soft smirk.

"Seto is a Monster" Ryou muttered, lifting a cloth from the bowl of water he brought in. Akefia shrugged and moved to sit up further.

"I could of handled him if they hadn't bound me first. Two against one is kind of unfair also" Ryou smiled softly, cleaning the others wounds.

"I know you could, but you will never escape here, I told you already. Bakura has eyes everywhere, that man who was hurting you, that's his most loyal. Anything Bakura says, the bastard does without hesitation. I hate him, always making life difficult for everyone"

"Even you? I thought you were the demons favourite, how could he make life difficult for a pampered pet" The thief chuckled and Ryou rolled his eyes.

"The Angel that was here? He put an enchantment of some soft on me, I was trying to find out more about it, but Seto immediately tells Bakura when he notices something is wrong. Anything happens? Seto is the first to tell Bakura. As such, Seto is never punished, Seto is a know-it-all who likes nothing more than to kiss Bakura's feet. Before he came my life was so much easier, the others are all idiots who follow Bakura blindly, but Seto is smart. I've heard he comes from a line of royalty, well educated unlike most of the people here. Ugh, I hate him so much"

"He reminds me of someone back in Egypt true, I thought he looked like a Priest that works for the Pharaoh. I wonder if they are related in some way? It doesn't matter, if he's loyal then I guess he's always going to be around. Just perfect, I'm going to have to put up with him a lot more I imagine."

Ryou was about to reply when Bakura stepped back in, followed by Seto. Akefia fell silent, and let Ryou finish cleaning his wounds. When they were done Bakura gave him a once over.

"I still think we should have let you bleed out, but anything to keep Ryou happy I suppose. Seto, you're in charge of keeping an eye on him while we're away, any trouble and you have my permission to do what you want" Seto bowed low, and Akefia rolled his eyes. With that he turned to step outside once more, and Ryou followed him.

"Now we need to go see what that Angel has done to you. It does mean travelling to hell however. Yami never cared much for the mortal world. As far as I know only an Angel can break an enchantment or a spell they have created. Luckily their magic isn't normally used for manipulation, so it can only manipulate your desires, not your actual thoughts and emotions like I can, if I wanted to. Come, I want you to stay close to me, this is a dangerous place for mortals, and I will not lose you to any other demon." Bakura grabbed Ryou by the shoulder, summoning a circle on the ground before directing Ryou to step in it, he followed quickly after. This was terrifying. He had read about hell only in books before, a place where sinners live. A place of fire, and brimstone. This was awful, why had he been forced into this life? He had been good, his father was the monster, the sinner. How was this fair?

When Bakura had finished the incantation, there was a pause, before the world shifted around them. Ryou gripped tight onto Bakura, closing his eyes as they stayed still, landscapes shifted past them until they stopped. The place they ended up in was not what he expected.

They were on the balcony of a large castle, surrounding them was fields of green grass, pine trees, and mountains in the distance, the sky was a clear blue, and no clouds were to be seen. Ryou looked to Bakura in confusion, and Bakura shrugged.

"Lucifer gave the General a little corner of hell to do as he wishes with. True the scenery looks pretty, but all mortals here suffer, you'll soon notice the affects. Yami also likes torturing mortals, they work as slaves in the castle, constantly in fear if Yami is angry, or bored actually. In fact there isn't really a time Yami is not torturing them. But the General likes cleanliness, so everything has to be spotless. Just something about him I guess. Come, we want to be in and out of here. I hate this place." Bakura stepped ahead, and Ryou moved to follow after. He felt exhausted all of a sudden, like his legs were weak. His stomach felt empty and his skin felt hot, almost burning.

"I don't feel so good" He muttered quietly, and Bakura turned back to him. Without saying anything he lifted Ryou into his arms, and continued walking. When Ryou was touching the demon he felt fine, his skin stopped burning and he seemed to stop suffering. This place was awful.

After walking a while, they stepped into a large throne room. Yami was sitting on a chair, watching as two creatures hung from the ceiling, whimpers and moans of pain echoed through the large hall.

"Bakura, what brings you here? You usually tell me when you're on your way" Yami smirked, pushing himself up.

"First, can you stop my mortal suffering? I mean I know you like causing pain, but it's easier for me if he's fine." Yami nodded as he walked over to them, muttering quietly before placing his hand on Ryou's forehead. As he withdrew it however, a frown emerged, and he glanced up at Bakura.

"Bring Yugi here!" He snapped to one of the mortals by his throne, who gave a low bow before dashing away.

"So, my angel managed to get into the mortals mind. I'm going to be honest, I never thought angels had that ability. I knew they were all for good and right in the world. If I could break the enchantment you know I would." Bakura nodded, placing Ryou to the ground. The whitette looked around, the throne room was grand, with beautiful tapestries and gold framed paintings.

"He's probably wondering why you choose to live in a slum, when I have such grandeur~" Yami chuckled happily, and Bakura rolled his eyes.

"We're in and out. I don't want to spend any more time here than necessary. You know I hate all this finery and excess. There's no need for it, you just need walls to keep your mortals in." The other demon gave a grin, but that faded the minute the mortal returned with Yugi.

Yugi however, was shocked to see Ryou and Bakura standing with his Master. Ryou moved behind Bakura, the Angel had been his friend...or so he thought, but all he wanted was to manipulate him. It was all any one seemed to want to do these days.

"What did you do to him?" Bakura snarled quietly, and Yugi's wings ruffled in fear.

"Nothing...I-" He began before Bakura pounced on him, grabbing him by the wings forcefully and holding him up to Ryou. Yugi squirmed and Yami stepped back, letting the other demon have his moment.

"Undo it!" Bakura snapped, and the angel couldn't help but squirm some more.

"I've done nothing! I swear. I promise!" He tried to flutter his wings, to escape from the grip of the demon. Ryou however moved closer to Yugi.

"I dream about you, you're everywhere. I can't stop thinking about you. Why can't I stop? Why do I...I have this...this desire...this focus to be with you again? You say you've done nothing, but I can't believe that. I honestly cannot think of anything else. Please, make it stop. I can't sleep, I can't do anything. I'm suffering so much" Yugi stopped squirming, still frowning however.

"I didn't do anything, I swear to you. But maybe I could try and help?" He muttered, placing a hand softly on Ryou's head. He pulled back instantly, turning to Bakura and Yami.

"T...this is not Angel magic, it's demonic...but something that I've not felt before. Like...pretending to be angelic? Is that possible?" Yami turned to Bakura, who rolled his eyes.

"Malik..."


End file.
